20 Synthesis of Antihypertensive GABA-Enriched Dairy Products Using Lactic Acid Bacteria

High blood pressure is the leading risk factor for cardiovascular disease, which remains one of the world’s most important public health problems (World Health Organization, International Society of Hypertension Writing Group, 2003; European Society of Hypertension and European Society of Cardiology, 2007). Hypertension affects approximately one billion individuals worldwide. Hypertension develops because of a number of factors, including those related to diet and lifestyle. It is well known that nutritional factors infl uence blood pressure; for example, excessive salt and alcohol intake may lead to an increase in blood pressure (Suter et al., 2002). On the other hand, some foods decrease blood pressure and reduce the risk of hypertension. For example, a study of 5000 people found that those with normal blood pressure reported a higher consumption of milk than did hypertensive subjects (Ackley et al., 1983). The authors of that study suggested that some component of milk, probably calcium, exerts a protective effect against hypertension. A large-scale intervention trial on dietary approaches to stop hypertension (DASH) demonstrated that a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, low-fat dairy products, fi ber, and minerals (calcium, potassium, and magnesium) signifi cantly lowers blood pressure and is effective as a fi rst-line therapy (Moore et al., 2001; National High Blood Pressure Education Program Coordinating Committee, 2002; DASH-Sodium Trial Collaborative Research Group, 2003; Appel et al., 1997; Miller et al., 2000). Many studies have addressed the effect of food components on blood pressure, but only a few have assessed the infl uence of small quantities of CONTENTS